Mossel Bay has been highlighted at a recent article in the Rapport on Sunday (July 8, 2007) as having the lowest crime figures in the country. This follows the South African Police Services’ July 3 release of…
Mossel Bay has been highlighted at a recent article in the Rapport on Sunday (July 8, 2007) as having the lowest crime figures in the country. This follows the South African Police Services’ July 3 release of statistics for the period 1 August 2006 to 31 March 2007.
No murders, hijackings or business robberies were reported in Mossel Bay during this period. By contrast, other, similarly-sized small towns reported a much higher incidence of crime: Stellenbosch, for example, reported 17 murders during the same period whilst Knysna reported 48 and Margate, 37.
“This confirms the reality of Mossel Bay as a safe place to live and a safe destination for tourists,” said Louis Harris, Mossel Bay Tourism’s board member responsible for marketing.
“We attribute the low incidence of violent crime in the town to three things: a relatively low rate of unemployment due to a very healthy economy, excellent work by the local police and a responsible sense of community amongst residents.”
Mr. Harris said that his board wanted to pay particular respect to the SA Police. “The low crime rate is not only important for community spirit — it is also an enormously important selling point for all destinations around the world,” he said.
“We are very thankful that we can now go to the international trade shows with the additional confidence of knowing that it’s true when we say that Mossel Bay is the safest place to visit, and that the good work of the local branches of the South African Police Services has made that so. We want to thank the SAPS and assure them that we will continue to work closely with them to ensure the safety of everyone in Mossel Bay – residents and visitors.”
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